good evening. thanks for joining us. the final vote to confirm kavanaugh is expected to take place tomorrow. this follows the support of two crucial senators today. >> maine republican senator susan collins gave a 44-minute speech this afternoon ending with announcing her support for judge kavanaugh. >> and democratic senator joe manchin of west virginia is also supporting the nominee. he made the announcement through an email statement just moments after collins finished speaking on the senate floor. >> protesters against kavanaugh continue to swarm capitol hill tonight gathering outside the offices of key swing vote lawmakers. one of the targets, senator collins, even after she announced her support for kavanaugh today. here's the moment she made it official. >> i will vote to confirm judge kavanaugh. >> if the senate votes tomorrow 51-49 as expected, it would be the narrowest margin of confirmation for any justice in more than 130 years. >> there has been a lot of --

>> it was frustrating and disappointing that the investigation wasn't more thorough. and so i think that's really a lost opportunity. so it's been disappointing and frustrating. i think on the positive side there is a large conversation happening now on these issues. >> there has been a lot of reaction from both sides of the aisle. abc7 news reporter chris nguyen is live in south bay with more. chris. >> reporter: kristen, supporters of brett kavanaugh have called this a political circus, but his opponents say that he should have never come close to confirmation in the first place. with judge brett kavanaugh's confirmation to the supreme court likely to happen this weekend, some are turning their disappointment into a call for action. >> we cannot take this as a motion to stay quiet. we absolutely need to come out even more. >> reporter: saratoga residents

lisa ladelle is survivor of sexual assault. she says she won't allow it to be a setback for women's rights and believes more people will come out to the polls in november inspired by the bravery of dr. christine blasey ford, the woman who accused kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her in high school. >> they didn't look at the way kavanaugh presented himself and the way he responded. i just think that there are so many question marks, that that should be enough. >> reporter: republican leaders firmly stand behind kavanaugh and say it's time for the country to move forward. jason clark is hair chairman ever the san francisco gop. >> i think this is galvanized the republicans. i think a lot of republicans were disturbed by what they saw as a lack of due process. i think they were disturbed by politicians grand-standing at the expense of a woman who has possibly been sexually assaulted. >> reporter: but for some moving on is easier said than done. therapist heather valentine has

worked directly with teens and women who have been sexual assaulted. >> there is a part movie very worried it will silence people because it gives this message of you're not going to be believed. i want to say something. i hope this empowers to speak up more. >> reporter: community members saying more lessons can be learned. >> make sure that you're as educated and aware as possible and put your vote in. >> reporter: and a lot of eyes will be on the final vote tomorrow. we are in the south bay tonight. chris nguyen, abc7 news. >> thanks. and will the controversy surrounding brett kavanaugh's nominee lead to changes in the confirmation process for supreme court nominees? that's a question abc7 news morning anchor reggie put today to abc news political director rick klein. >> do you think this changes the process from this point on? will we see a vetting process that is different for people who want to become the next supreme court justice?

>> i'd like to say yes, but you mentioned clarence thomas 27 years ago and it was the same process that we went through then. it hasn't changed. i think there will be serious conversations in the senate about how to improve the process, how to create an appetite to take some of the partisanship and vitriol out of the judicial nomination process. the stakes are too high to expect something to change. people will get back to their red jerseys or blue jerseys quickly. so i don't have any great hope that things will change. i think there will be serious soul searching inside the senate about what can be done better next time. >> the senate is expected to hold its final vote on judge kavanaugh tomorrow. download the abc7 news app and enable push alerts to be the first to know when that vote takes place. and as we shift gears, that

is the unmistakable roar of the blue angels. they are back in the bay area for fleet week in san francisco this weekend. >> yeah, thousands watched from the waterfront today as the naval flight demonstration squadron performed their high-flying tricks and precision maneuvers. so stunning. >> it is. you know, fleet week isn't the only thing that is going to attract over one million people to the city this weekend. >> that's right. a lot of people, a lot of security. carlos starts our team coverage with how the city going to handle traffic and, carlos, safety concerns. >> reporter: well, as you know, getting to the city on any day can be a real challenge, but especially on a busy weekend like this. and we are already seeing crowds of people here along the embarcadero. take a look. a lot of people here for fleet week, and officials say that they are expecting more than a million people in town not just for fleet week, but other events throughout the city. so as you guys mentioned, this means added security, more

people, and just more traffic headaches. public transit is probably your best option if you are coming to the city on what will be a busy weekend. to meet the high demand, ferry services include an additional 14 rides saturday and sunday. last year 24,000 passengers rode the ferry the weekend of fleet week. if you are coming from the peninsula on caltrain expect delays. starting this saturday the agency is suspending weekend services into san frncisco from the bayshore station to update the tracks. >> we are providing a bus bridge. we want to make sure people who normally make this commute can get connected. it should take an extra ten minutes to get to 22nd. >> reporter: those trains are expected to be crowded. last year close to 19,000 people rode caltrain. with more siftevisitors in town security is being increased. san francisco's emergency operations center has been fully

activated. >> we have additional representatives here from some departments and that just allows us to work across the table with those representatives to have quicker communication. >> reporter: this means sheriff, police, fire, and homeland security officials are working in the same room to respond to any emergency. back here live, you can see the crowds of people here along the embarcadero. now, before you head out this weekend you want to check on what your transit options are. if you are going to be participating in fleet week and want to get emergency alerts, text fleet week sf, all one word, to 888777 and that way you will be able to get messages on your phone about any emergency or any heavy traffic disruptions. again, that number 888777. reporting live along the embarcadero, carlos saucedo. >> thank you. speaking of traffic disruptions another road closure for the salesforce transit center starting tonight.

first street between mission and howard will close down at 9:00 p.m. tonight until 5:00 a.m. saturday morning. that's in addition to the closure of fremont between mission and howard. the latest shutdown will continue for a few days to speed up reinforcement of the salesforce transit center. work is currently on track to reopen fremont by next friday. if the blizzard and fleet week isn't enough to keep you -- it is the manual hardly strictly bluegrass festival this weekend. dion lim is live in san francisco with more. dion. >> reporter: dan, so much to do, so little time, right? here along marina green things are pretty quiet as the blue angels just wrapped up their performance for today. the fun continues tomorrow with more marquis events for the city. for gene a and her son charlie fleet week holds extra special meaning. >> what he is good at, and he

absolutely is typical child when he is at air shows. it's absolutely wonderful to see him when he is engaged. >> reporter: charlie is autistic. while he is usually sensitive to loud sounds, fleet week is different. >> i like the part when they fly and do their tricks and they treat me really well. like a celebrity. >> reporter: more than a million people each year descend on san francisco to honor the men and women of the united states armed forces, many making it a family tradition. >> luke just turned 3. we are actually from san diego. so we're in town for fleet week because the kids just love airplanes. >> can't be better than this. it would be a little better if we were like on our kayaks in the front row right there. >> reporter: as if all of that wasn't enough, this weekend is the 18th annual hardly strictly festival. >> yeah! ♪ >> reporter: now in its 18th year, what started as nine bands is now 81 with something for

herdly hardly just bluegrass. >> we have a focus on roots music, blues, americana, folk, country. but there is also a lot of rock, soul, r&b, and the undefinable. >> reporter: more than 500,000 people are expected to attend over the course of three days. some, like this guy, have been attending since the very beginning and say it's become a tradition. >> this festival means everything. it gives you a chance to see friends that you haven't seen in a while. you are not going to see them until next year. >> reporter: organizers call the free gift to san francisco never changes. >> the key is to keep the culture, vibe of the festival while presenting new great american music. >> reporter: back out here live, the organizers of fleet week, they tell me that the flight deck club, that's those tentsds you s tents in the background, those are sold out for tomorrow. however, limited tickets do remain for sunday along with premium seats for both days

saturday and sunday. something to keep in mind though. the grass space, that is always free. it's available on a first come, first serve basis. live in san francisco tonight, dion lim, abc7 news. >> all great stuff. thanks so much. now ships are lining up on this sunny day. a live look outside with the abc7 news exploratorium camera. so much going on. >> yes, and take a look at this view behind me. this is what you can expect. more bright skies heading into the weekend. it could not have been a better backdrop for fleet week today and for the blue angels this weekend. expect sunny and mild conditions tomorrow. 69 degrees in the afternoon. morning will be in the 50s. breezier and warmer on sunday. make sure you have your sunscreen and your shades if you are going to check out the action. upper 50s and then going up to the low 70s. kristen, i will be back with a full look at the accuweather seven-day forecast coming up. >> we have a schedule of events and times on our home page.

just go to our website abc7news.com to better make your plans. more to come here. new developments in a high-profile murder case. >> the former bodyguard of a wealthy heiress accused of murder is freed from prison. thousands of marriott hotel workers strike during one of the busiest weekends in the bay area. why this won't likely end anytime soon. in today's finney friday, this

a high-profile murder case on the peninsula took a turn today. one of the accused men in the 2016 killing of keith green is set to be released from custody following a hearing this morning. olivia adela struck a deal to testify against two other suspects involved in green's death. tiffany lee of hillsborough one of the suspects the mother of two of green's children. lyanne melendez has the story. >> reporter: she was scheduled to walk away a free man. his murder charges were dropped after he agreed to testify begins tiffany lee and her boyfriend at the time. both lee and the boyfriend are being charged with the shooting death of keith green, the father of lee's two children. adela had pleaded no contest to accessory after the fact. >> in this case not the killing

of the victim, but instead of taking the body afterward, taking it up to sonoma county and attempting to dump it there. >> reporter: green's body was found off the side of the road in sonoma county in may 2016. under california law, adela has served his time, a year and a half of a maximum three-year sentence. >> and he has done that. he has been in custody of this jail for over a year and a half, and, therefore, we arrived at the conclusion that he would be released from custody. >> reporter: under the conditions of his release, he must stay in contact with the court and must be available to the d.a.'s office at any time. adela is expected to testify some time in august of 2019. the delay is due to a request by lee's attorneys who is said to be undergoing breast cancer treatment. the case has gained national attention because lee was released after posting a $64 million bail. the highest in san mateo county and the eighth highest in the

country. she has t monitor and is only allowed to leave the home to receive medical treatment. abc7 news has found out that second defendant will have a hearing in about two weeks to request that his bail amount be reduced. the d.a. says his office will object to that request. in redwood city, lyanne melendez, abc7 news. the strike against marriott hotels is expanding. 200 employees walked off the job at the oakland marriott today joining about 2,500 fellow union members who went on strike yesterday. strikers are now walking pickett lines outside nine bay area marriott properties, including the w hotel in san francisco. they say they have been working without a contract since august and are calling for higher wages, better workplace safety, and job security. >> we'd love to get back to the table. we want to negotiate this contract.

we don't want to be out in the street, but we are willing to do what we have got to do. >> unite here union members are also on strike in sacramento and boston. marriott tells abc7 news that its hotels remain open and they are disappointed by the walk-outs. >> i don't know if i can say this very well, but i will give it a shot. giddy up. the rodeo is coming to town. >> very good. michael finney has a way you can go for free. yee-haw. >> there you go. >> there you go. the rodeo. this has been around for so long. this is a big deal when i was a kid. it's still going on now. you are going to tickets to the grand national rodeo. it's held every year at the cow palace. pick from friday, october 12th, next friday, or the friday after that, october 19th. you can get two tickets, a $2 value. aside from the rodeo straight up, there are mechanical bull rides, live music, food,

shopping. it's like a real celebration of the wild, wild west. as a matter of fact, it is the 72nd annual grand national livestock exhibition, horse show, and rodeo. isn't that amazing? >> yeah. okay. now, if that isn't your deal, we will continue our tour on home and garden shows. this one is over in concord. you get one free ticket. it's being held at the concord pavilion. it's the contra costa fall home and garden show. $6 value friday, october 26th true sunday, october 28th. this is not a new bie either. it's been around 23 years. you remember all of that, right? >> i have been there. >> hundreds of exhibits, of course. they are fun to check out. >> two great established events. how do we get tickets? >> go to our website abc7news.com. look for the finney's friday free stuff page and really get in on the rodeo. that's a fun deal. >> great family fun.

>> thanks. what about the weather for the weekend? >> now your accuweather forecast. >> it's going to be fine looking weather. good evening. look at live doppler 7 right now. there are a few clouds passing through the bay area, but they are pretty much harmless. a live furr from our east bay hills area, plenty of blue skies there. 64 in san francisco. it is 69 in oakland. pretty mild from san jose to morgan hill. in the mid-70s right now. this is a lovely view of those wispy clouds just filtering the sunshine right now from our emeryville camera. 74 santa rosa, 73 napa, upper 70s vacaville, concord, and 76 degrees in livermore right now. where are the temperatures heading? they came up a couple of degrees today. we will be seeing warmer weather for the upcoming weekend. 79 tomorrow afternoon, average high is 80 degrees. a little bit below average sunday/monday in the low 80s and the temperatures start to slide as we head towards next week. going back down again.

this is a lovely view from our santa cruz camera. there are a few people, some kids enjoying the beach. it will be a good weekend to head to the beach. sunny and warmer this weekend. increased fire danger, gusty in the hills. be aware of your surroundings. a little cooler next week. fire weather watch has been issued from tomorrow evening through monday morning. it covers all of the north and east bay hills along with the santa cruz mountains and the east bay valleys. we are expecting gusts 45 to 55 miles per hour. offshore wind will dry out the air with the low humidity and any fires that do develop will rapidly spread. wind advise is for the north and east bay hills 8:00 p.m. tomorrow until 9:00 a.m. monday. watch out for possible trees and power lines down due to the gusty northerly winds. hour by hour, saturday night the winds start to pick up. sunday morning you see those winds coming out of the north 30 to 31 miles per hour in calistoga, fairfield, higher in the hills. the winds will continue as we

hid into sunday night. a little bit lighter. then picking back up to drop off again during the monday morning time period. so definitely a time of year where we have to keep an eye on that. first thing tomorrow morning upper 40s to the upper 50s. plenty of high clouds around, and then for your afternoon it's going to be a nice day in the south bay. 77 degrees san jose, 82 gilroy, 74 santa cruz. on the peninsula mid-70s, palo alto, menlo park. 63 pacifica. half moon bay 65 degrees along with the sunset district. sunshine, 69 in downtown san francisco, north bay 81 santa rosa, 76 san rafael, 78 in napa. occasional high clouds in the east bay. mid 70s san leandro. 80 degrees in concord. 79 in livermore. we have the girls festival this weekend at santa clara university. noontime 72 degrees. there will be plenty of sunday in the afternoon. mid-to-upper 70s. we will be there. so go by and say hello. a look at the accuweather seven-day forecast. sunny and breezy tomorrow, gusty in the hills, certainly a warmer

pattern going into columbus day. temperatures upper 60s to mid-80s sunday. close to that monday, and then minor cooling for tuesday, wednesday. download the accuweather app. keep track of those temperatures to plan your weekend. >> compexcellent. thank you. here is a question. could therapy dogs actually do more harm than good? a study that suggests man's best friends could make some kids sick. and then at 5:30. >> the verdict is in tonight. the police officer facing murder charges. a black teen shot 16 times. the break in the case, a wife, teacher and mother of two missing. the discovery. and one of the most famous athletes in the world, the investigation and video from las vegas next. >> thank you. we will see you then. new at 6:00, a 7 on your side warning from michael finney. why the dmv says you better look out when searching for motor vehicle information online. that story

california's public schools rank 44th in the nation. 44th. i'm marshall tuck, i'm a public-school parent, and i know we can do better. in the public schools i led, we got more funding into our classrooms, supported our teachers, and we raised graduation rates by 60%. that's why president obama's education secretary endorses me. we've done it before. now, let's do it for every public-school student in california. i'm marshall tuck. i'm running for state superintendent.

while therapy dogs can certainly comfort kids in the

hospital, a new study out today says they can also spread superbugs. >> doctors at johns hopkins hospital in baltimore were concerned they could be a risk to children with weakened immune systems. they tested children. >> they found kids who spent more time with the dogs were six times more likely to be infected with superbugs. six times. but washing the dogs and using special wipes removed the risk of that bacteria spreading. an unsung hero honored by the pentagon. >> how a single pigeon

at 6:00 team cringe on the impending kavanaugh confirmation including the possible long-term impact after a partisan battle. people need help. that's what we're here for. >> they asked. you delivered. cheryl jennings shows how abc7 news viewers made a difference for local kids in need. all coming up on abc7 news at 6:00. dan, kristen. >> thanks. finally tonight, as military ships come to san francisco to celebrate fleet week a war hero is being honored at the pentagon. >> meet president wilson. a carrier pinalen and unsung hero of world war i. 100 years ago he made a flight to deliver a life-saving message. >> he lost his leg and suffered

a chest wound after coming under fire, but he got the

tonight, several developing stories as we come on the air. judge brett kavanaugh is now on the brink of confirmation. and the senator from maine, susan collins, one of the senators who saved his nomination. what she said today, with millions watching. the verdict is in tonight. the deadly police shooting. the officer, and the black teenager shot 16 times. what the jury decided late today. the break in the case. a wife, teacher, and mother of two who went missing in the middle of the night. the discovery, and what her husband is now saying. he's one of the most famous athletes in the world. soccer star cristiano ronaldo, on countless covers. tonight, police have reopened a case of alleged sexual assault. and this evening, you will see the video from las vegas that investigators will likely see, too. we're watching storms on the move right now.